Friday, January 22, 2016

Two young boys play in dirty, dusty
streets. Both of their families have been forced to live in a ghetto
against their will. They wear tattered clothes, with few products
being available. Their meals are spotty at best. Their brethren
walk around looking lost and emaciated. Every so often, a body is
carted from the streets. Someone else has gained release, and final
freedom from this human-created hell on earth. The boy's education
is far from guaranteed, but even at their young age they have been
schooled in the cruel capriciousness of human nature. Perhaps they
must be conniving and sneaky to steal an extra bit of food from an
unsuspecting person in their midst.

One of the boys would live in the
Warsaw ghetto around 1939. He would be Jewish, forced to live
there with all of the others in Poland. The death camps had not yet
been constructed. His family was forced to live hand to mouth –
it is a wonder many survived as long as they did. The Nazis cared
little. They would have preferred them all to drop dead.

The second boy lives in
present-day Gaza. He lives among the highest concentration of
people in the world. His family has very few rights. If they own a
car, they can only drive on certain roads. If they have land, they
are most likely being encircled by Israeli settlements. If the boy
gets mad and throws a rock at an Israeli soldier at one of the many
checkpoints they are forced to go through, he can be detained by the
Israeli military, and spend up to four years in prison. His living
conditions are indistinguishable from those of the Warsaw ghetto in
the late 1930's. Only his captors, the captors of all of his people,
are not the inhuman Nazis, but rather the same people who had
suffered so much death and despair underneath Nazi rule. The
persecuted have become the persecutors.

This whole situation has complex
beginnings. In 1948, the UN mandated the creation of the state of
Israel. They sent the Jews to Palestine, so they could have their
own land. The only problem was, Palestine was already occupied, by
Jews, Muslims, and even some Christians. Sparsely occupied, but
occupied, nevertheless. So when the Jewish started to arrive in
large numbers, residents were displaced, and were less than happy
about this. Understandable. But Israel had defined borders, and
many Palestinians re-settled outside these borders, in the West Bank
and Gaza. Then, there was a war in 1967. As a result of that war,
Israel occupied these two territories, the West Bank and Gaza. They
eventually had to pull back out. But Israel enforced heavy new
restrictions on the people living there.

Sympathy for Israel and the
Jewish people runs strong, especially here in the US. What they
suffered at the hands of the Nazis was horrible, and they get a lot
of sympathy for that, and for further aggression by Arab states.
The Arabs and Persians do not want Israel around – many would like
to see it eradicated. So the sympathy is understandable. But at
the same time, many Palestinians have been robbed of their ancestral
lands. Were they compensated, or offered compensation? If not, why
not (by the UN). So their anger is also understood. But few seem
to care about their plight.

The average Palestinian must wait
hours at a checkpoint, if they work outside Gaza. They endure
frequent harassment and harsh conditions. And yet some of them
manage to hope for a better day. Their few cities in the settlements
are devastated by a war-incursion in the summer of 2013. They seem
to live on dust and hopes. Even getting an allotment of water is
expensive and intermittent for them. If a Palestinian does build a
new house, it must have a water storage tower on the roof. They
never know when they will get water. What water they do get, they
are charged a higher rate for than Israelis pay.

Since the Jews have been so
mistreated, is is perhaps understandable they are filled with a
systematic rage against the outside world. But these are not the
Nazi perpetrators, they are the poor people who were living there to
begin with. Still, there is historical precedent. The settlers who
came to the US and displaced the natives. The Spaniards and the
Indians in Mexico and South America. Various others throughout
history. Stronger forces come in and displace weaker ones. Some
things never change.

If we build a huge border fence, what
happens when US residents want to visit Mexico?

Do we still expect a warm welcome?

If we abolish the IRS, how do we pay
the national debt?

How do we pay for defense, social
programs, and all of the other things we need? Donations? Bake
sales? Yeah, right.

Do we just let people die wholesale,
including veterans, by not funding any kind of medical care
whatsoever?

What kind of society will we become?
And what happens when the congressperson's own families are impacted
by cutting all of the government programs. Careful where you cut
there, buster, you're hurting my kids now. ??

Whoever gets in will have reality to
face, Congress to deal with, and a council of advisers to deal with every
day. Good luck, Mr. politician. You'll need it.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

You can't hardly go to a movie
theater nowadays without encountering another super hero movie.
Once the province of comic books, superheroes have taken over modern
media with a vengeance. Makes one wonder if there will ever be human
capabilities approaching the fictional superpowers. Humans have
already shown the miracles accomplished by our “regular” brains
and hands. Should we be filling our young people's minds with
superpower wish fantasies? Isn't it better to stress what can be
accomplished by the use of what capabilities we have now?

There is a TV series called
“Heroes” which tells the story of seemingly ordinary people who
find they have extraordinary abilities. Some can fly, or move things
with their hands. Others can read minds, implant thoughts, throw
lightning or flames out of their hands. One can even stop time
itself, freeze events, and walk through the scene to retrieve an
object, or deflect a bullet, or rescue a friend from falling. If you
have seen this series you know who I refer to. (I'm not stating
names to protect myself against the super-lawyers.) The series is
fun to watch, great escapism, and full of drama and tension. But
one finds oneself thinking how nice it would be to have just one of
those powers, or “abilities.”

And if a military could gain those
powers, oh my. There were some episodes that touched on attempts to
give troops super-powers. In real life, our troops here in the US
are trained so thoroughly that they come out very capable human
beings indeed. They can go without sleep, they can run fast, fight,
fix things, solve problems. One could argue that their human
powers have been increased to a level far above the ordinary citizen,
and thus they have in effect “super powers.” But not all people
come out of the military equally, especially if they have endured
repeated deployments in say, Iraq or Afghanistan. Their abilities
are offset by the traumas they have suffered. Some end up addicted
to drink or drugs, and thus suffer a loss of even normal coping
skills for day-to-day living.

But the myths endure. The “Marvel
Avengers” movies draw huge crowds, and even bit-player superheros
(left over from the comics) attract some interest. Perhaps this
speaks to something inside us all. We wish we could do more, be
stronger, faster, do better in life. This is understandable. We
struggle with financial issues, relationship problems, interruptions
and stress at work. The world seems like it is getting more and more
complex. The rules keep changing, and we must wobble-walk ourselves
through day to day hassles and problems the best we can.

But if one thinks about it,
Evolution has made us into superheroes compared to our very early
ancestors. Thanks to better nutrition and medical knowledge, we live
twice as long, or longer, than they do. The average life expectancy
up to the late 1800's was early 40's. (see
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005140.html
). Now many live into their 80s and 90s. We are taller and
stronger than our forebears. If you look at clothing from earlier
times in museums, it looks like it was made for children.
Education lasts longer. Kids now must master computers, and other
technical know-how not foreseen a couple hundred years ago. Of
course, now they do not need to know how to shoe a horse or attach a
buggy, unless they want to as a hobby.

In the sports world, runners have long
since surpassed the 4 minute mile, once thought to be impossible.
Records have been set in everything from swimming and running to
baseball and basketball. Many of these achievements have been
reached because of technological assists and innovations. (IE
wearing tight goggles to aid in swimming longer distances, or
improved running shoes for marathoners. ) (see
http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/content/87/1/7.full
)

One could even argue that doping
and performance enhancing drugs are a form of technological
advancement. Not using these substances sets athletes back onto a
level playing field, but one that is a long distance behind what had
been reached with the enhancers. The enhancers themselves sprang
from human ingenuity and a desire to win at any cost. Are they any
less valid at pushing our species forward? Probably not welcome in
a sporting event, but nevertheless they still pushed us past some
performance boundaries effectively.

Even though we may not feel like
heroes, thanks to our technological infrastructure we live like gods.
We fly thousands of miles instead of plodding twenty a day on
horseback, or five on foot. We perform heart surgery and add decades
to lifespans. We ride in capsules up to breach “heavens
firmament” and visit our ISS outpost there. As far as a culture
like ancient Egypt is concerned, we have reached “heaven” and
built an earth colony there. Farfetched, but still true when you
think about it. We hold in our hands a (smartphone) device to talk
to anyone, most anywhere in the civilized world. We can ask a
question of our device and get an answer in seconds, or minutes at
most. Ancient peoples would possibly either worship us, or try to
kill us out of fear.

In the “Heroes” series, and on
the movies, Superheroes face moral dilemmas. Whether or not to
intervene in 'normal' peoples lives and problems. Whether or not to
undermine other superheroes. They judge each other, and find flaws.
(Even mythological gods had flaws.) But unless they were the
villain, they usually came down on the right side of things. In
Guardians of the Galaxy, the main character subsumes his own personal
mission, partly out of necessity, to help save the galaxy. There is
usually some kind of sacrifice, even on the part of the hero. So
contemporary moral values seep through. Even Hellboy, a devilish
sort of hero from a different production, has a noble mission, a good
side, as well as some conflicted feelings.

This mirrors human dilemmas to a
large degree. We face many difficult decisions and moral quandaries.
We are perhaps comforted that even Superheroes must pick their way
through mental minefields and dilemmas. It reminds us we are not
alone, and that our decisions affect the outcome to a large degree.
We must go on fighting the good fight, no matter the mistakes that
were made yesterday or last week. Wish that we may, we must make do
with human powers only.

It is interesting to watch the
“Heroes” people work out their problems. Hollywood writers have
outlined and elucidated hypothetical problems and solutions faced by
people with extraordinary abilities. A man that can read minds,
renouncing any use of his ability to keep the playing field level.
After faced with a pressing need, he finally relents and uses his
powers. He “fell off the wagon.”

The Villain in the series actually
struggles with his hunger to take powers from others, and at one
point, becomes 'good.' He swears off using his power for a time,
then is forced by circumstance to become evil again, to survive. A
company chases down and imprisons some, then they escape. Opponents
end up helping each other against a common enemy. And on and on the
drama goes.

In real life, first responders,
like Firemen and Policemen, are increasingly called heroes. Their
occupation is certainly dangerous, and yes, they save lives, and get
the bad people. But the term of Hero is thrown about quite a bit
nowadays. The First Responders are compensated well for their work.
To me, a true Hero is one who rises above their common station, who
goes out of their way to save a life, or come to someone's aid. Now
they are even calling a football bowl the “heroes bowl.” Our
military members are called heroes whether they did anything heroic
or not. Again, they do have a particularly dangerous job. But the
title of “Hero” is one that is earned, not conferred wholesale.

Perhaps the true heroes are the
common people. Those are the ones who must live with decisions by
government and business leaders, and make them work. So if the
government decides to implement a new parking scheme in an area of
town, or raise parking meter rates, or implement snow route changes,
for some imagined good outcome, it is the public who must endure.

Some thoughts on series with
supernatural characters. In any show or movie, when one character
has a supernatural ability, and reveals it slowly, and to maximum
effect, it makes for a great show. But when you have most everyone
there with some kind of ability, the effect is lessened, diminished.
Everyone is throwing their weight around, and not much is being
accomplished. But judicious use of powers at opportune moments to
drive the plot forward can be great. There was a movie made years
ago, called The Watchmen. It was about a group of heroes who
administered some kind of justice on a large metropolis. They had
disbanded years before. One person murdered their leader, and the
rest of them reluctantly came back together to combat this new
threat. It was wonderful. Mysterious, dark, suspenseful.
Superhero suspense done right is a joy to behold.

But there is all kinds of material
out there. The dark, twisted, conflicted hero, the anti-hero. That
is the fun of watching these shows and movies – you never know what
writers will come up with next. The Conventions add to the
excitement. You can buy autographs of your favorite actors (in some
cases), even though it may cost you two weeks pay. You can dress up,
or see others dressed up, or buy toys and trinkets. It is all a
marketers dream. The superhero genre may never go away.

Someday, when human beings,
through technology and evolution, fly around and throw things using
telekinesis, we will have to invent new, even more powerful heroes.
It should be interesting to see what we come up with then.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

One of the most difficult
professions today has to be that of a diplomat, or ambassador.
Even though time periods in the past have seemed incredibly
difficult, like say, World War II, or the Vietnam Conflict era, times
today are at least as difficult, if not more so. We find ourselves
fighting a war on terror, but mired down in various regions of the
Middle East and the Far East. Our enemies seem elusive,
ghostlike. Some of them used to be co-operative, like elements of
the former Iraqi army. Our enemies nowadays are religious fanatics
of the worst kind, wanting to die to go to heaven, and take lots of
innocents with them. To be a diplomat under these circumstances
would be difficult on a good day.

There have been times in the past
that have seemed dark indeed. During the days of the cold war, any
incident might trigger nuclear saber-rattling on the part of the US
or Soviet Union. For example, during the Yom Kippur war of 1973,
there were supposedly Soviet nuclear weapons being moved towards the
area of fighting between Israel and Egypt. The US went on
worldwide nuclear alert, and soon, these same weapons were detected
moving back where they came from. Or the time in the early 1980's ,
when a technology malfunction caused the US to temporarily go to high
alert, only to find out it was all a mistake, not any Soviet threat.
Nerves were jangled quite often in those days, and diplomats
probably got many tense phone calls, or made them, to calm things
down.

The hostage crisis in Iran,
precipitated by the Islamic Revolution there, is another example.
Some Americans managed to escape roving bands of Iranians by hiding
in the Canadian embassy. The staff there helped them conjure up an
escape plan, where they posed as a musical group, and assumed new
identities. They made it out, with much assistance from the Canadian
Embassy. Only one example of Ambassadors putting their own
fingerprints on history, and averting loss of life in the bargain.

When the Soviet Union fell apart
around 1991, affiliated states went off on their own. Old rivalries,
quashed during the Soviet era, re-surfaced, Thus, Yugoslavia broke
apart, and so did Czechoslovakia. The Baltic states fought ethnic
cleansing battles. The Serbs, Croatians, and others were at each
others throats. NATO finally had to step in and enforce the peace,
bombing Serb tanks and positions in the process. International
relations, once a black-and-white affair between the West and the
Soviets, was now a multi-hued quagmire, worse than a Louisianan
swamp. It seemed that the USA had more work than ever on its hands,
keeping the lid on a fractured world. The war between NATO and the
Serbs in the early '90's resulted in American national guard troops
being stationed in Slavic lands for the first time ever.

Around this time (1990), Saddam
Hussein's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The US had to send troops to expel
Hussein's army, and then specialists to put out the oil fires. More
work for the diplomatic corps, too. As the 1990's progressed, the
US restored relations with various Soviet satellite countries who
were newly independent. For example, Mongolia, Bulgaria, and even
Albania. Poland became a close ally of the US. But as time went
on, and the new Russian Federation strengthened under Vladimir Putin,
new warning signs arose. Things were no longer going to be a
cakewalk for the US. More issues arose for diplomats to sort out.

In 1998 terrorists tried to bomb
the World Trade Towers in New York. That was a wake-up call.
Then-president Clinton launched some cruise missiles at their
training camps in Afghanistan, then called it a day. But Al-Queda
was not finished. They finally got the “job done” by crashing
airplanes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in 2001. After
that, the US entered a virtual state of war with all terrorist
groups. This was a new situation. Not like a contained conflict on
a certain land area, this was a continuous conflict with shadowy
groups that moved around, nearly everywhere. So diplomats around
the world now had a new task, that of fighting terrorism, added to
their schedules. Given some of Pres. Bush's speeches, like the one
where he said “either you are with us or you are against us,”
the atmosphere was grim. Two years after the attacks, in 2003, we
invaded Iraq, supposedly because they were seen to be supporting
terrorism.

We succeeded in unseating Saddam,
only to unleash a quagmire. The three different tribal factions in
Iraq (Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds) lost their Hussein-inflicted
containment, and began fighting each other. After conquering the
country, the US attempted to “train” the Iraqi army. Then we
pulled most of our troops out, leaving a power vacuum. Immediately,
the factions went at each other, the central government did little or
could do little to prevent it. So extremist groups took to the
field, and now (in 2015) we see ISIS controlling a large swath of
Syria and Iraq, attempting to establish a new Caliphate or religious
state. You can't establish diplomatic relations with an illegal
state, founded on territory stolen away from legitimate states.
Especially one that tortures or murders anyone who opposes their
brand of religion. All you can do is try to contain them. Or evict
them by any means from their stolen territory. Perhaps the US is to
blame because of the 2003 invasion, and perhaps it is the Muslim
extremists who are to blame. After all, it was them who attacked us
on our soil to begin with. But in any case, international relations
are being strained quite a bit by this one.

Russia's rise from a fractured
state to a world power once again has been slow and steady. Vladimir
Putin and his supporters have consolidated their grip on power, and
established new ground rules. While Russia has a parliament, and is
on the surface a democratic society, it is only skin deep. The
reality is more like an autocratic, totalitarian government. But
Russia has a long history of heavy-handed governments, rounding up
and torturing its own people. Stalin was pretty good at this, even
executing his own generals before the second world war. Nowadays,
Russia is definitely a force to be reckoned with. I do not envy the
diplomats who must deal with this new, assertive
superpower-once-again. With thousands of nuclear weapons, millions
of troops, and lots of ships and aircraft, Russia simply cannot be
ignored or downplayed. But it seems that every time the US and
Russia are going to play nice together, some international incident
crops up to make that impossible. The latest is Turkey, a NATO
member, shooting down a Russian fighter jet. The diplomats must be
working overtime on that one.

But a quasi-state like ISIS or
ISIL is a common enemy of all the forces involved. They would do
away with all trappings of the modern society, and revert to some
medieval religious dictatorship. Women would be robed and masked
all the time, LGBTers just executed. Their religion would be forced
on everyone, under threat of torture or death. Just when it seemed
that perhaps all of the major world powers, even China, would gather
forces to eliminate this scourge, some incident happens to spoil it,
like the aforementioned jet being shot down. Diplomats, man your
phones.

A recent event where diplomats
actually lost their lives was in Benghazi, Libya a couple of years
ago. A small staff was manning a US Consulate there, headed by a
popular, affable FSA. Suddenly there was an attack, and everyone
inside was killed. At first it was said that a mob had stormed the
facility. But later it came out that the attack was planned,
coordinated by a branch of Al-Queda. There was a lot of finger
pointing, including blame placed on then secretary-of-state Hillary
Clinton. Funding requests for more embassy guards in the past were
turned down by Congress. Nevertheless, some of those same fossilized
congressmen blamed Clinton. In any case, it was a terrible tragedy,
illustrating just how risky it can be to be an international
diplomat.

The unrest and fighting in Libya
stemmed from the overthrow of Mumahdar Gaddafi, the then-strongman
leader. While his overthrow was seen as a positive at first, all
of the factions fighting each other soon became a problem. Oil
exports shrank, and societal structures broke down. And religious
extremists moved in to fill a power vaccuum. The movement to unseat
Gaddafi stemmed in part from the “Arab Spring” uprisings in
Egypt. People took to the streets to overthrow a long-established
corrupt government there. These successes spawned copycat movements
in other states, including Libya. Diplomats all over the region must
have been spending a lot of sleepless nights reporting on events and
occurrences. Not to mention trying to protect American citizens
and/or interests in the region. International relations put to the
test. Who do we talk to that is in power now, when power is changing
hands so fast. A democratically-elected government in Egypt with the
Muslim Brotherhood as the majority was quashed by the military almost
immediately after it was elected. The Muslim Brotherhood was
disbanded by edict. And a new government was put in place. Some
democracies are better than others, I guess. The US was put in the
position of dealing with various governments in Egypt, in rapid
succession!

Pakistan is another touchy
example. There is basically a military dictatorship there (could
be wrong). There are human rights violations, there is a
state-sponsored terror organization to undertake battles in the
Punjab, a region contested over with India. Pakistan also has a
nuclear arsenal. We have diplomatic relations with both India and
Pakistan, and must get along with both, even though they hate each
other, and have fought several wars. After many years of hunting,
the US finally found Osama Bin Laden, the head of Al-Queda. He was
living in a comfortable villa in Pakistan. The Paks knew we wanted
his head badly. They have intelligence apparatuses, they are not
dumb. And yet they claimed ignorance. But, we have to get along –
easier than fighting yet another war with someone. Diplomats, take
your vitamins.

Every time I think we surely live
in the most complicated age of international relations ever,
something else happens to add to the complexity. Today's terror
miasma makes the post WWII world look downright simplistic. It even
makes the world wars look simple by comparison. Thank goodness we
have a lot of computers to help us figure things out, otherwise we
would be completely lost. The International diplomatic corps has to
really be nimble on their feet to stay on top of things, and keep
relations on a positive course. Here is hoping they succeed, and
keep our world from self-destructing. Thanks for reading.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Sitting down to eat dinner one
night, I brought up Youtube on my SmartTV. First up in a group of
selections was what “really happened to Adolph Hitler at the end
of WWII” It seems that an author out there believes Hitler
actually escaped, rather than commit suicide with Eva Braun. And he
lived the rest of his days in Argentina. Of course it was too
compelling not to watch. They laid out some evidence, including the
assertion by Stalin that Hitler got away. Add this to the growing
number of conspiracy theories floating around, gaining a life of
their own on the Internet. It was an interesting show, but evidence
was not conclusive. All they seemed to prove was that a skull held
by the Russians, thought to be Hitler's, was actually that of a
younger woman.

No matter how wacky or outrageous,
it is hard to ignore conspiracy theories. Oftentimes what really
happened during a major war or historical event is not clear, since
all of the principal actors were living it out, and perished. And
official accounts could easily be perverted by factionalism or
partisanship. Thus, what really happened to Anastasia Romanov after
the rest of the Czars' family was murdered is a subject of
speculation. As is the death or non-death of Rasputin, the mystic
counselor to Czar Nickolas This all took place back in the early
1900's, before digital recording and the like. It is still a rich
subject for books, documentaries and lots of idle gossip.

When you read some books by Von
Daniken or Berlitz about the Bermuda Triangle and the Nazca lines in
Peru, a lot of compelling evidence is laid out in front of you.
Without any other information to shed light on it, it would seem that
we are all descended from Atlanteans or Space Aliens. If only we
could find the manuals hidden away by distant ancestors, we could
re-fly the saucers and go out to meet our long-lost relatives. Or we
could try and mash together some of the crystal skulls found around
the world. It makes for great fun, even if skeptics could debunk
most of the theories. But in the end, every individual must make up
their own minds on what they believe, or not.

In the 1970's there used to be a
popular magician, who would bend spoons by rubbing on them. He
claimed special psychic powers in so doing. A professional skeptic
and debunker challenged this person on a live TV program. The
debunk-er studied what the magician was going to attempt, and put in
place controls that prevented the tricks from being performed. When
the magician or “psychic” tried his tricks, he could not perform
them. (It involved moving things around on a table.) He claimed
an atmosphere of hostility, and left the show without being able to
perform one single trick. Later, the debunker said, “If he would
only express his actions as sleigh-of-hand tricks, I would leave him
alone. But he is claiming psychic powers, and that is simply
unacceptable.” Or words to that effect.

Undoubtedly, some proponents of
conspiracy theories feel the same way. That is, they feel they are
onto the truth, and what the rest of us believe is a lie, or
propaganda, or whatever. Even if they are selectively choosing
facts, and choosing to ignore other, more accurate pieces of
evidence.

Area 51 is a good example. This
is a large area in the Nevada desert, chosen for its remoteness by
the US air force for testing experimental aircraft. Since they did
not want the Soviet Union to see what they were up to, they cordoned
off the area, and declared it Top Secret. Witnesses (that would
creep up to the edge of the property at night) claimed to see
wedge-shaped craft performing impossible maneuvers, or perform
vertical takeoff and landings. They saw lights in a cluster moving
fast, expanding and then contracting. All of these things can be
easily explained in a logical manner. A jet with a light on each
wingtip is seen at night. The lights alone are visible. They appear
to converge, then expand. This is simply a jet doing a roll
maneuver. The triangular craft are stealth fighters and bombers
being tested, at night, in seclusion. Or no, wait. They are really
UFOs, spaceships visiting at night to confer with senior US
leadership.

Another one is the spaceship that
the US found in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. Even some movies
reveal that they took it to Area 51, rebuilt it and
reverse-engineered all of the alien technology. If that is what one
wants to believe, then fine. The official account of what happened
at Roswell is that it was a high-altitude weather balloon being
tested. It rose to high altitudes, then lost pressure, and fell to
the ground, landing on a ranch. Most likely it was being tested for
radar reflectivity, since it had silver foil coverings. But the
UFO stories started up, and no amount of official denial could stop
it. The more the Air Force denied it, the more everyone else seemed
to believe it. That poor, lost extraterrestrial had no idea what
he started when he hit the telephone pole in a remote Earth desert.
Its all its fault!

President John F. Kennedy did not
die from the bullets impacting his brain in Dallas in November of
1963. They are keeping him alive in a secret warehouse somewhere.
Or no, wait. He did die, but there were multiple shooters, from
multiple angles. Lee H Oswald was the fall guy. The team firing
from the Grassy Knoll escaped Scot-free. And got bonuses from their
Mafia paymasters. If only the Warren Commission would have talked to
those in the know. A trail of bread-crumb proof can be laid out,
just as neat as you please. All of the principal actors are dead,
and everyone else speculates endlessly. Or re-excavates old
documents, pictures, and evidence and re-arranges things. Some have
even said that LBJ was behind the assassination, since he had such
strong ambitions to become president. And he wasted little time in
having himself sworn in on Air Force One at the airfield.

There is a scientific truism called
Occam's Razor. It simply states that “the simplest, most direct
explanation is usually the truth.” But note that “usually” or
“often” It does not denote “always”.

There is always room for error, or the
inexplicable twist occurring.

All one has to do is watch the
evening news on your local channels. Unbelievable, improbable things
happen at least twice a week. A car hits a power pole going at 100
miles an hour – the car is unrecognizable, twisted and mangled. A
passenger is killed, but the driver somehow survives. What on earth
happened? Or a father shoots his wife and daughter, then tries to
kill himself, but fails. Taken to the hospital, he is faced with
everyone's formed question: “But why? Why why why.” A baby
falls from an unattended window, at least three or four times every
summer. The mothers are distraught, besides themselves. Or a child
wanders off, and gets grabbed. One moment's inattention, and that
is all it takes.

Conspiracy theories abound for
even these events. Space aliens controlling peoples minds, causing
them to shoot their families, or forget about their toddler climbing
in the next room. A secret government program is kidnapping
people, taking them to the desert, and performing tests on them.
Sometimes it is difficult to tell where popular fiction leaves off,
and conspiracy theories begin. The Templars were a group of knights
in the middle ages. They began as a group of religious folk,
sanctioned by the Pope to help those in need. But over time,
noblemen left their estates and wealth to the Templars, and they
amassed fortunes. By the time of the Crusades, they were a
formidable force, wealthy and powerful. They got a bit too powerful,
and the then-current Pope finally decreed them outlawed, and had them
disbanded. But it has been said that Templar treasure troves have
been buried under churches, or even made it out to the American West.

Depending on who you talk to, or
whose book you read, the Templars descendants are alive today, still
meeting in secret, discussing who knows what. They are conspiring
with the Illuminati and the Bilderbergs on how best to run the
world's economy. The current world problems with Isis and Al-Queda
are all orchestrations by the string-pullers and their
Extraterrestrial handlers. Science Fiction can provide a rich trove
of possibilities.

But of course, even those who
believe that some of this may be true, surely have their doubts.
They have had enough education, and hold enough skepticism, that many
things just don't ring true. Why would Elvis pretend to die, then go
into hiding, and then pop up ever so often, in his concert duds, just
to say hello again? Elvis could be a space alien, a shape-shifter.
But most people of sound mental capacity can accept the fact that
Elvis is dead, JFK is dead, that flying saucers are not using Area 51
for an airport. The world economy may be run by large banks, trading
back and forth, as well as governments. But one ruling family is
most likely not calling all the shots. Nor are the Templars, or
Illuminati.

Now don't get me wrong. The
author has had science curricula in school, and knows just how vast
distances are between this solar system and others. I do believe
that because of the number of stars, and therefore planets,in our
galaxy, the probability of other life out there does exist. I just
think that if they do have space travel capability over light-year
distances (what they would need to visit us), they wouldn't bother.
They already have much more than we do, and could harvest whatever
they want from material in and out of their local solar systems.
If anything, they might cordon us off and simply observe. Therefore
it is very unlikely we will ever contact other intelligent species,
at least not until we become much more advanced than we are.

I am skeptical of most other
conspiracy theories, although some raise good questions. Like what
did happen to this or that person who disappeared, or went missing.
The mysteries get solved over the years, sometimes as a result of
public speculation. Maybe someday they will even figure out what
happened to Jack the Ripper.

It is fun to chat about intriguing
possibilities. What was that wedge-shape so and so saw last night?
What about the lights appearing over major cities? What about
newly-discovered evidence on the Templars, or Masons (said to be
linked to the Templars) or even Bigfoot? It is fun to ask “what
if” questions and it makes for good cocktail conversations.

I can remember visiting my
uncle in a small Iowa town, back in the 1970's. Part of the
enjoyment was the telling of ghost stories and mysterious happenings
by both Uncle and Aunt. The visit included a “witch call” and
viewing mysterious orbs in the attic. Part of my 19-year-old brain
knew they were fibbing. But the visits were enjoyable nevertheless.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Apparently the terrorist organization
known as ISIL or ISIS uses social media to “recruit” followers.
Consider this a rebuttal. IS people are forced to live under a
severe form of Sharia law. Any kind of luxury is forbidden,
including smoking, alcohol, and casual dress. Women are made to
cover themselves from head to toe, no matter the temperature outside.
They are not allowed to learn or work, and must obey their men in
all things. Women are basically relegated to baby factories, to
produce more warriors (or suicide bombers.) Their ideal society is
a hell on earth to our eyes.

We are used to such things as
television, the Internet, three meals a day including all kinds of
food groups. We are used to freedom of religion, freedom of thought,
and freedom from fear. No matter how religious our presidential
candidates, I highly doubt any of them want to subject their women
and children to the kinds of humiliation and abuse that the IS
followers believe in. It is unimaginable to me why anyone would want
to subject themselves and their loved ones to this kind of misery,
just because they believe in a spiritual being.

“Abandon your smartphones, throw
away your PC's. Cover your body head-to-toe, and deny yourself any
kind of physical release. Deny science, deny human rights, deny
modern medicine. Deny yourself and your family any kind of
individual freedom. Follow us. And help us kill the infidels.”
Kinda makes you want to toss out your beer, throw away your pizza,
cover your wife with a curtain, and fly to Syria to join the cause,
eh? Eh? All I hear are crickets. No thanks, not in any kind of
bizarre dream would I ever want to join the IS cause of hatred. If
you agree, share this, and spread the reality around.

One of the very earliest art forms
undertaken by humanity is poetry. Poetry could be described as
playing with words to create an effect. It is erected on a
framework called verse, or a series of artificial end-stops on lines.
It is a powerful form of self-expression. Many of the earliest
poems were histories of peoples, passed down orally by bards and
tribal traditions. The Iliad and Odyssey, two famous Greek poems,
were passed down this way, and (it was thought) finally recorded by
Homer. Tribal mythologies, including early Judaism, were passed
down orally and eventually recorded onto scrolls. By early
medieval times, poetry was already well established. Kings were
entertained and informed by lyric poems, some set to music. Beowulf
and other epic poems recounted mythical tales and beliefs. People
and poetry were a natural fit. Poetry was and is a natural
expression of human spirit and creativity.

As time went on, in the 17th
and 18th centuries, poems took on a much more formal and
structured appearance, for the most part. The simple Sonnet form
evolved into more complex variations. The Sonnet itself arose in
the 14th century in Italy. (Sonnet was Italian for
'little song'). The vilanelle and Pantoum, among other forms,
arose and spread around Europe. Ballads were recited and sung in
courts far and wide, recounting heroic deeds and mis-deeds. Elegies
and epitaths were increasingly common. More elegant forms like the
Sestina arose, as well as comic forms like the limerick and the
epigram. Verse could be played with, and if one had enough of a
reputation, new forms could be propagated far and wide. And
throughout, but especially in recent times, free verse has also been
popular. In the 20th century, free verse seemed to take
academic precedent over formal methods. Some have said that rhyming
forms were distracting because of the rhyme, and were too sing-songy
as well. Be that as it may, formal poetry is still widely popular
with many people.

Now what follows will be a
description of some poetic forms:

A Sonnet is a 14-line poetic form,
in Iambic Pentameter. The rhymes alternate in the first three
quatrains (groupings of four lines). Then, the last couplet rhymes.
The format can be described in letters as ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
With each letter corresponding to an end rhyme.

For example - “You compare better to
a rose,

than any line
I could compose.”

That would correspond to the GG or
rhyming couplet.

Shakespearean or Elizabethan
sonnets have the above rhyming schemes. But Petrarchan Sonnets vary
in their rhyme schemes: ABBA CDDC EFFEGG. They all use Iambic
Pentameter, meaning the first syllable of each word is unstressed,
the second is stressed. This lends a lyrical beat to them.

Many prefer Sonnets as a good
jumping-in point to writing formal or structured poems.

The Vilanelle is another popular
form. Made famous by Dylan Thomas and his “Do not go gently into
the night” poem, they alternate lines in each stanza. There are
six stanzas, and the middle lines in the stanzas must all end-rhyme,
and many are written in metrical form, IE Iambic or Trochaic. It
uses two rhymes throughout. ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABAA . The
first and third lines repeat for a refrain. This has been used
effectively on a number of subjects other than “raging against the
dying of the light!”

The Pantoum is another fun form to
play with. It originated in Malaysia. It is an indefinite number of
abab quatrain stanzas. Line 2 and 4 of the previous group, in their
entirety, become 1 and 3 of the next stanza. At the end, the lines
are reversed. One can find many examples of this on the Internet.
It can be an entertaining form to play with and express your
thoughts.

The Sestina is another complex form.
Do not attempt these without a lot of patience and time. The rhyme
scheme is quite complex.

There are some short forms that are
enjoyable and simple (though not necessarily easy.) The Haiku is a
popular three-line form. Five words, then seven, then five. Some
vary the number of words, and some use punctuation, others do not.
Most of the time, no title is used. The Limerick is a fun form
that was invented sometime in the early 1800's. It has five lines,
the first, second and fifth rhyme. And the 2nd and 3rd
rhyme with each other. Many college students have whiled away the
hours composing silly limericks, at least until the advent of
television and later, the Internet.

The Epitaph is another short form.
It is for words on a tomb, commemorating the dead. But the form has
also been used for humorous or comedic writes. The Epigram is
another short form, for humorous jots. Epigrams are four-line gems,
like this one from Alexander Pope:

“Sir, I admit your gen'ral rule

that every poet is a fool,

But you yourself may serve to show it,

That every fool is not a poet.”

The Cinquain is a five-line form.
One version simply starts with one word, then two, then three, four,
and the last line, one single word again. It is a simple form, good
for playing with various concepts. Another form is line 1, a noun,
two, 2 adjectives, 3, three -ing words, 4 – a phrase, and 5 –
another word for the noun in line 1.

There is also the Clerihew, another
four-line gem.

Ekphrastic is a poetry form based on a
visual piece of artwork. Poets write whatever comes to mind when
they are viewing a picture or piece of sculpture. They can be long
or short.

Poems have another quality as well:
Tone, or mood. A poem can convey a bright, happy mood, like some by
e e cummings. Or they can be sad, like Dylan Thomas's work.

There are forms like the Acrostic
poem, or the Abecadarian. Acrostic spells out a predetermined word
with the first letter of each line of the poem. Sometimes the word
or phrase is included in the title. The Abecedarian uses the letters
of the alphabet to start each line of a poem. There are many other
forms out there, and new ones pop up every so often.

But free verse also deserves some
discussion here. Free verse poems can be quite powerful, given the
word choices and arrangements by the poet. Greats like e e
cummings started out writing formal poetry and immersing themselves
in techniques. Then they branched out, confident they could spin a
rhymed, metrical poem. And went on to compose some delightful free
verse gems. When the words contain imagery, emotion, tone and
feeling, they can be just as effective as any rhyming poem. Walt
Whitman conveyed much emotion with his writings of Lincoln, “My
Captain, oh my captain....” Modern-day beat poets like Alan
Ginsburg and his “Howl” broke new literary ground, conveying
much feeling along the way. These free-verse poems can hit you in
the gut with their painful irony or insights. Many seem to show as
much skill as composing a rhymed, metrical piece.

Of course, somewhere in the mists
of time, lyrical words were set to music, and another art form was
born. Today some popular hits contain a relatively small number of
poetic words, sometimes repeated in refrains. Song lyrics I have
personally heard decades ago are still memorable today, by their
rhythm and the music behind them, and also by the emotions they
helped generate back in the day.

Lyrical words and sounds have a lot of
power. Even some speeches by politicians, when written well and
spoken eloquently, can carry a lot of weight, and resonate down
through the years. (“Fourscore and Seven years ago...”) It all
started with human language, and a very early component of that was
poetry.

Here are a few examples of modern
poetry.

Lyric Tidbit - Anon

No
hefty paycheck can replace

a
sunlit river flowing at lazy pace;

Big
bank accounts do not compare

with
gorgeous mountain vistas out there.

Two
Voices - Anon

The first intoned a gentle refrain:

Southern express route, Northern
Special,

Vent car before unloading - Manifest
Present,

Load Limit - serial number - chemicals
inside...

On and on went the official
inscriptions.

The second screeched louder than a
sticking brake:

“KUSH, Vanity Rulz, M8domin8m,
Charles was here,

KULZ, SPS6, Always into Something...”

Graffiti noise insinuated itself over
every orderly

procession of wheels, walls and welds.

I sat there on a bike, musing on the
discordant

harmonizing of civilizations
influences.

Suddenly a telltale rumble, the loud
thrumming

of diesel locomotives pushing the
entire

two-toned visual orchestration past my
vision.

Informing voices faded from concern as
I

watched the big yellow engines pass.

Time to pedal through the now vacant
crossing;

home, dinner and a hungry cat await.

There will be many other chances to
watch

those discordant long-distance voices
holler

their endless competition with one
another.

The switching yard is right around the
corner.

Me Up At Does – e e Cummings

out of the floor

quietly Stare

a poisoned mouse

still who alive

is asking What

have I done that

You wouldn't have.

Poetry is often used on special
occasions, even by Television announcers. Commercials feature
rhyming jingles. And, of course, greeting cards are full of
poetry, from the maudlin to the humorous to just plain awful. But
we keep buying them, hoping they can express feelings which we feel
inadequate to write down ourselves. I guarantee you, when you write
someone a note or a poem, in your own words, it carries far more
weight than any “canned” poem. Because it comes from your heart
and your own hands. I have saved letters written to me over thirty
years ago. They mean a lot because they were written (from the
heart) by my friends or loved ones.

Saturday, January 09, 2016

It is dawn. A crowd gathers in a
Midwestern downtown, on the east side of the main river bisecting the
area. On the opposite side, crews are making last-minute checks on a
gutted 10-story building that used to house the local YMCA. The sky
brightens, the crowd swells, anticipation builds. Finally, a signal
is given, and announcement is made: “Fire in the Hole!” A
large explosion shoots up flame and smoke atop the structure. Then,
dozens of charges go off in a staccato popping. For a fraction of a
second, everything becomes still. And then the structure crumples in
on itself, and mashes down into a pile of rubble and dust. A cheer
goes up. The audience got what it came for. Noise, destruction,
spectacle. All for nothing. Chalk up one more successful implosion
of an aging building.

Building demolition has been going
on for as long as there have been older, tall buildings that need to
be torn down. Cities grow, or wars happen. And structures need to
be demolished. The techniques started with wrecking balls and such.
But these were slow, and dangerous. So some tried dynamite to
demolish structures. This could also be dangerous, although methods
were developed to make it safer. Over the years, people and firms
got better at controlled demolition, and finally, implosion. Setting
off a number of charges to weaken the load-bearing members in a
building, so that gravity and its own weight brings it down on
itself.

In the earliest known building
demolition, 150 pounds of gunpowder were used to bring down a
cathedral in Ireland. The explosion was said to be deafening, and
the entire structure quickly reduced to rubble. As time went on,
and buildings got taller, other methods had to be found to protect
surrounding structures, and the spectators who gathered to watch.
Dynamite was invented, and used. Blasting experience during mining
was used to craft a safer method of bringing down structures.
Controlled charges were timed to go off at the right moment to weaken
the structure and bring it down safely. (See
http://www.implosionworld.com/history2.htm
)

After World War II, Europeans were
faced with extensive work rebuilding their downtowns. Experts
gathered together, and came up with ever-more efficient methods to
safely and rapidly demolish damaged structures, Safer explosive
material (RDX) and non-electrical firing methods were employed to
improve the process. In the US, crowds gathered for some of the
more notable implosions of landmark structures. Food stands were set
up and souvenirs sold. It became a real public event. As the
crowds swelled at these events, safety became even more of a concern.

Here in Des Moines, Iowa, we have
had a few notable implosions. The old Woolworth's building, which
was a partial failure. In the words of one resident who witnessed
it: “It was literally a flop – part of the building flopped out
onto the street and some material showered buildings across the
street.”

But by the time the YMCA building was
demolished in the fall of 2015, techniques were refined quite well.
The building fell without a hitch. Now the biggest problem is what
to do with the space that has been freed up.

There are other alternatives to
implosion, of course. The wrecking ball has been used quite
effectively for decades. Hydraulic hammers and cutting shears can be
used. They are making quick work of a local city parking ramp near
7th and Grand ave. A fire hose is used in conjunction
with the work to keep the dust down. In areas where other buildings
adjoin the structure, implosions can be just too risky, no matter how
well controlled. So the slower way must be used, with hydraulic
hammers pounding away, and end-loaders hauling away debris, pile by
pile.

In San Francisco, in the 1900's,
dynamite was used to stop fires. When a fire spread uncontrollably,
one method to stop it was to demolish any buildings in its path.
This was used many times as a fire-fighting technique. Thankfully,
this is no longer used in cities today.

The Japanese have invented a new
method, whereby entire floors are held up by hydraulic jacks while
the supports are cut out underneath. The floors are then gently
lowered. This seems to be a safer and cleaner method of demolition.
So newer methods to taking down old buildings will come along. I
imagine someday scientists will invent a molecular disruptor that
will melt away buildings with every sweep of a powerful ray.
Perhaps these methods will attract crowds too. But there is
something exciting about being at an Implosion, and hearing the
“fire in the hole”, and the loud bangs.

(By the way the term “implosion” is
incorrect, since the building does not implode, as from air pressure,
but rather collapses of its own weight after all supports are
blasted. Think of what happens is a football player has his legs
swept out from underneath him by some blocker. He falls pretty
quickly, too.)

See you at the next big boom party.
Thanks for reading.

Some terms: Implosion – bringing
down a building by controlled explosions.

Demolition –
bringing down a building using traditional methods. Wrecking ball
and hydraulic hammers or shears.

Deconstruction:
An alternate method of taking down buildings. Materials are stripped
down and segregated, and recycled as much as possible. Old concrete
can be ground down and used as aggregate for new foundations and
such.

Friday, January 08, 2016

Back in the late 1980s and early
90's, a new phenomenon popped up. The proponents borrowed a term
from the programmer community, which had used 'hacking' since the
1960's as a term for intensive coding work. These new hackers
specialized in unauthorized entry into systems, especially online
systems. They could scan phone numbers calling them one at a time,
and find the ones that returned data instead of a voice or answering
machine, and then try password combinations to break in. Many mini
and mainframe computers maintained a “backdoor” or way for an
engineer to log in remotely, for troubleshooting procedures. These
backdoors became known in the underground, and much used by the early
hackers/crackers/phreakers. Just breaking in was a badge of honor
for these folks.

Early 'heroes' included Phiber
Optik and Kevin Mitnick. Mitnick was said to have two terminals in
his apartment. On one he did his hacking, and the other was logged
into a phone company computer. When the phone co put a trace on his
line, he backed out of whatever system he was rifling through and
hung up. He did some time for those exploits, but after being
released from prison, he resumed his activities. He even taunted a
highly-skilled cyber-specialsit (Tsutomo Shimomura ),
antagonizing him so much, that Shimomura made it his life's mission
to take Mitnick down. Eventually, he and others succeeded in
tracking down Mitnick, and arresting him. There is even a book out
about it.

There was a crude glory to these
early crackers. Some specialized in phreaking, or getting free
long-distance phone calls, in the days of crossbar phone switches.
Others passed around lists of outdials and data numbers. There was
even an early Usenet Newsgroup, called alt.2600 . The 2600
referring to the sound frequency used to get a free phone call on the
older style automatic switching systems. It was all command line,
hands on stuff. Best done with a computer running Unix or later,
Linux – the lingua franca of the early Internet. As the 1990s
progressed, however, back-doors were slammed shut, and system
vulnerabilities were eradicated. Hacking became difficult or
impossible in most respects.

But not all. Some simply tried
random email addresses and passwords, and found a trove of personal
information. Others downloaded complete hacking programs from the
numerous BBS systems out there, and gave them a whirl. If you wanted
to download free software from a bulletin board system, I hopefully
you had a good anti-virus program. They were chock-full of viruses.
But these were the things early online users were forced to use. If
you wanted the games, pictures, and messaging capability, then you
had to endure the virii and other attacks.

By the late 1990's, the early
Internet protocols were fading, or being merged with
ever-more-powerful web browsers. Telnet, FTP and Gopher were early
Net tools that are now mostly gone. In the early days, one could use
these to gain root access to a server or mainframe. From there, it
was an easy matter to copy over a Trojan program, or simply copy
whatever files you wanted. By the late 90's, people were forced to
hack web pages, manipulating code to, for instance, bypass a login
screen, or take out an anti-copying script. (Authors note: I take
no position on the legality or morality of these activities. I'm
merely reporting them, as part of the background scenery within which
we must all live). The more HTML one knew, the more one could
do. Hacks went on, and cyber-crimes got more spectacular. The
government took notice, and formed cybersecurity committees.

On September 11, 2001, there were
the attacks on the WTC, Pentagon and (almost) White House. In the
increased paranoia one arena that was focused on was cyber-terrorism
and cyber-crime. More and more programs were initiated. Some
were found to be able to spy on individual e-mails. Others took
advantage of public security cameras. The massive Wikileaks, and the
revelations of Edward Snowden revealed the existence of many
surveillance programs. It seemed that far from being a Wild West
free-for-all, the Internet was actually fairly well monitored. Yet
the hacks would not be stopped.

Companies came to work one day,
and found their websites defaced. Or their executive's names and
private information distributed and posted all over the Internet.
Much of the handiwork seemed prankish. Like “look what we can do”
and post some obscene picture or other on the front of their website.
More sinister attackes came in the form of DDOS, distributed denial
of service. People wrote programs that repeatedly pinged host
computers with requests, swamping them and slowing response time to a
crawl. Or in some cases, created false links to download viruses to
crash hard drives, or copy their contents, or fill them with kiddie
porn. There was lots of malicious stuff out there. And the targets
were quite often corporations that antagonized public opinion, or
even government agencies. AT&T was constantly hacked, as was the
CIA, etc. The successful exploits were seen on the nightly news, or
more to the point, and first: On many Net chatrooms and hangouts.

In the mid-2000's some new hacking
entities sprang up. There was the Anonymous movement. A shadowy
group of hackers that could seemingly bring a company computer
network to its knees. And Lulz, an offshoot of Anonymous. One
prominent hacker named WEEV was behind a lot of things. Somewhere
in the midst of this activity, the Occupy Wall Street movement was
born. Occupiers showed up all over the country. Physical occupation
of bank lobbies and properties went hand-in-hand with some hacking
activities. Many companies, and some government agencies, had their
websites defaced. Prominent in this was Jeremy Hammond, who was said
to have hacked into the Stratfor website, and exposed thousands of
emails detailing illicit activities by the same. Another, Barret
Brown, was sentenced to 105 years in prison for disseminating the
file grabbed by Hammond. A third, SABU, was turned into an
informant by the FBI, and thus earned himself freedom from prison, as
well as the eternal hostility of the hacking community. A new game,
new players, using new techniques.

While the author has read or seen
bits and pieces of hacking techniques through the years, the total
picture is murky at best, and he has no desire to find out, and earn
a jail cell for himself. . However it is surmised that some of the
methods involve coding HTML and C++ languages. The DDOS attacks
involve repeatedly contacting a host computer, thus overloading it.
Some hackers employ a method called Phishing, where they send a fake
email from, say, a bank. If they can get an unwitting person to
enter their login and password, and capture it, they have just
“caught” a bank account “phish”. There are many
variations on this, I suspect. The Internet is a dangerous place,
there are a lot of sneaky emails and spam.

Unlike the old days, around 25
years ago, when hackers were bored teenagers scanning phone numbers
to see if a computer answered, the present crop of crackerdom must
use ever-more sophisticated tools. The computers are out there, all
over the place, but they are well-guarded. To scale these new walls,
one needs ever-more wily methods. The well-publicized Stuxnet virus,
that caused Centrifuges in a nuclear processing facility in Iran to
over-spin and destruct – that one was brought in by a flash drive.
In other words, the “sneaker-net” got in where the Internet could
not. A telling development. Watch who you let into the data center,
and whether or not they are carrying a flash or thumb drive with
them.

In recent years there has been a
lot of publicity about Bitcoins and the Darknet. Supposedly, one can
find these bitcoins, and use them to buy illegal substances online.
The Darknet is where you go to buy things like heroin, weapons,
whatever. A lot has been written about these entities. Suffice it
to say, stay away if you want to avoid trouble, or a virus. One
guy, Ross W. Albricht, was rwecently arrested. He created the Silk
road website, where you could buy any kind of illegal drug or weapon
your heart desired. For a time, until it was shut down by the FBI.
He ran it from a laptop, which he carried around with him. He made
lots of money the first couple of years, then imitators sapped his
profits. Federal investigators were tipped off at some point.
Then they began to watch him closely. And within months, his whole
business empire unraveled. Today he is in Federal Prison.

Cracking in the early years carried
an aura of glamor and excitement. A way for teenagers to delve into
technology, perhaps perform a few pranks, mostly harmless. But
things have gotten a lot darker in recent years. Now, large
companies, including telecoms and insurance operations, have
permanent, full-time cyber-security positions. It is money that
must be spent to protect customer data, and avoid corporate
disasters.

Cracking has even turned into
cyber-warfare, and been used by governments against other
governments. Vast amounts of taxpayer money have been spent by the
US government for cyber-warfare and security programs. Not to
mention all of the spying and surveillance that goes on. Meanwhile,
we have all been convinced to do our bill-paying and banking online.
Thus, here we are, living our entire financial life online.
Vulnerable to being wiped out by one ill-timed malicious hack. It is
a scary world these days. Hacking just is not what it used to be.
Just remember to always practice safe computing, and cross your
fingers while you are at it.

A partial list of some famous
Crackers and illicit traders:

Ross William Ulbricht – creator
of Silk road illegal trading site. Sentenced to life in prison for
ordering a murder of a competitor.

Kevin D Mitnick – gained access
to many computer networks, including DEC and the Pentagon.

Robert Tappan Morris – the first
Internet worm – shut down many networks.

Robert Draper – the Cap'n Crunch
whistle – in the early 1970s he came up with a way to get free
phone calls. Later, Steve Jobs and Wozniak improved on his method
and built the first Blue Box, imitating many of the tones used by the
Bell System in those days.

Adrian Lamo – despite being
homeless, he hacked into the computers of the New York times and
others.

Vladimir Levin – stole millions
from international banks by listening in on teleconference calls.

Wednesday, January 06, 2016

In this day of multiple new trail
systems around Iowa and elsewhere, it seems worth noting that you can
ride a bike at almost any age. From toddlers riding tricycles, to
seniors riding whatever they want to, many people have embraced this
pastime. Some are like me, who gave it up for a while after I
learned to drive, only to take it up again in my 30's. It was
partly out of necessity, to get around. But once I discovered the
then-new but growing trail system, I realized it was also a
recreational activity. Not at all like in the 1960's, where riding
a bike meant hopping curbs and dodging cars and people.

Bicycles have become big-ticket
items, with some selling for thousands of dollars in area stores.
There are now recumbent bikes, bike carts, electric-assist bikes, and
bikes with many, many speeds – some at least 28-speed. There is
even a company called RhoadesCar that makes a four-wheeled pedal
“car” cycle. (https://www.rhoadescar.com/)
In the current climate of enthusiasm for renewable energy of all
kinds, bicycles are a perfect fit. Get out of that car and pedal,
get in shape, clean up the air, and your arteries too.

So recreational trails have gone
in wholesale. There are bike lanes all over downtown streets now.
How many riders use them is an open question. But this is Iowa, and
we get nasty weather here. A few hardy souls pedal around town in
the wintertime. I know of one man that is 62, who pedals almost
everywhere he can. Despite his age, he pedals in all kinds of
conditions. He has ridden on the trails in winter, and helped clear
off debris like fallen limbs. People half his age are either
driving in their cars, or at home where it is warm. Even more
amazing, he prefers to ride barefoot. While he is an extreme case,
there are many older riders out there “pushing the weather
envelope.”

Bike choices used to be somewhat
limited, and some older folks may visualize that when they
contemplate riding a bike. In the past it was either a 10-speed
racing bike with curled handlebars and a seat the width of a
two-by-four – or a single-speeder with a more comfortable seat.
Those days are long gone now. As was mentioned, you can find bikes
of every size, function and description. If one can afford it,
one can go to a specialty bike store. Around here those include
Bike World, Ichi bike, and Kyle's Bikes or Bike Country in Ankeny.
There are also places like Wal-mart and K-mart for your common,
run-of-the-mill bikes. The author purchased a nice 7-speed called a
“messenger bike” for everyday riding. I don't know if that
particular model is used in larger cities by bike messengers, but for
me it rides real good on the trails, or on the streets. It is
durable, the tires are skinny enough to go faster, and it seems a
good fit for me overall. For someone contemplating renewing a
friendship with a bicycle, there are a lot of choices out there.

Online places carry a plethora of
bikes too. Arguably a greater variety can be found on the Internet.
But remember, they have to be shipped to you. And the one time I
purchased a bike and had it shipped via UPS, it was not a good
result. In addition to the high cost, the bike arrived bent and
damaged inside the shipping box. Your experience may vary. But a
good strategy is to research some bikes online, then see if your
local stores carry a brand you are interested in, or could acquire
one for you. Sine I was on a budget, I bought a more 'common'
product at a big-box retailer. For someone else this may not be
their preferred choice. But it is best to buy what you will be
comfortable riding in various weather conditions. And don't forget a
helmet. In some locales it is illegal to ride without one. Save
your brain bucket – buy a helmet.

One a prospective new or more
likely, “returning” bike rider starts again, there are a few tips
I can offer. One is don't fret too much about your weight starting
out. When I resumed my riding, I made sure the tires were well
inflated. My weight still pressed down pretty hard on them, and it
took me some practice to regain my balance-agility to ride a bike.
But after two or three rides, my balance on a bike returned to
smooth mastery. One has to make sure and look all around for cars,
people, etc, before starting out. And if it is your first ride after
many years, give yourself time and patience. It takes the body a
bit of time and effort to resume a physical activity you have not
done in 20, 30 or 40 years!

If one is really out of shape,
and/or very overweight, it may be wise to begin some kind of exercise
regimen before you ride. Like say, a half-hour walk once or twice a
day for a week. Just something to get the body to realize it is
going to be doing some physical exertions again. Perhaps take the
bicycle you will ride out and simply walk or wheel it around for a
while. Get yourself used to the idea that you will be riding again.
Your blood flow will improve, your muscles tighten up a bit. And
then you will be ready to begin riding.

Many that are approaching
retirement age, or already there, are on a tight budget. And even if
you don't have to ride a bike to get around, riding a bicycle for
recreation is a great form of cheap entertainment. With the trail
system being as developed as it is, there are trails that go high
over river valleys, or wind along river greenways. There are trails
that circle lakes and go through parks, and connect into other parks
further away. It can be enjoyable just to see where the trails take
you – you will be surprised at how far you can go after an hours'
leisurely pedaling. Just be sure to remember what turns you took to
get there. But the signage has improved vastly in the last five
years, so it is doubtful you could get truly lost.

Once a person has been riding a
bike for awhile, they encounter the need to accessorize and/or repair
their two-wheeled steed. Front and rear lights are a requirement
if you are going to be riding at night, or even at dusk. Some put
on a rear platform or container. Some carry saddle-bags or a water
bottle strapped to the frame. Chain oil of some kind helps keep
your gears shifting well. After a few years, brake pads begin to
wear out, and should be replaced. There is a certain amount of
maintenance necessary for a bicycle. And sooner or later, you will
get a flat tire. Whether from a nail, metal shaving, glass or
whatever, you'll get a flat tire. Let's just hope you aren't too far
from home. Then you can either use a screwdriver to pry out the bad
tube and replace it, or pay to have it done. I have done it both
ways. The guys at the repair shop are preferable, since they tend
to do it the right way. But one can always do it themselves.

There are also computerized
speedometers and tire lights. Many, many accessories exist for a
bicycle. Some are beginning to electrify their rides. Strap a
Lithium Ion battery pack over your frame, and hook it up to some kind
of transmission-drive.
(https://www.electricbike.com/lithium-battery/)
Then you can get help going up those steep hills. I investigated
these, and they are still quite expensive. So I'll stick to pedaling
slow in low gear, or in extreme cases, walking the bike up a hill.
But once I get myself into “cycling shape” which means a month of
regular cycling, I find that I can make it up even steep hills, just
pedaling slow and breathing deep, regular gasps of air. It can be
done, and not just by the Olympians or steroid users. Still, it is
good to know there are options out there like electric or E-bikes for
those that desire them.

I tried bike commuting for a short
time, and did not particularly care for it. For me, bicycling is a
recreational pastime, and that is it. But for some, once they get
into a pattern of riding their bike to work, they want to keep at it.
No gas, fresh air, parking is very cheap. Wherever you can find to
chain your bike to is fair game. Here in downtown Des Moines, some
companies have bike racks. Others have bikes chained to trees,
parking meters and anywhere else someone can think of. The drawback
is you might need a shower before going to work, unless you live
close by and don't need to pedal for miles to get there. But some
make bike commuting “work,” and to them I salute.

The future. What does
the future hold for those of us who like to pedal ourselves around
town?

Most likely continued increase in
composite materials for biking. Already there are lightweight
carbon-fiber bikes, and high-strength plastics are everywhere from
carts to pedals to lights, and more. More styles and kinds of bikes
for every need. There are folding bicycles out, that can be
carried in a backpack. Innovations like this make a bicycle into
just another item to stuff in your carry-on or backpack. With the
advent of 3-d printing tech, you may take a vacation, and decide you
want a bicycle. Then go to a store, and they will 'print' one off
for you. Even today, there are bikes for rent in downtown
locations of many cities. With the swipe of a credit card, you can
hop on a rental bike and ride around town. But at an hour per ride,
make sure you have a watch with you. If you go over, or ride the
thing off, your card balance could reflect that! It is hard to say
what else is coming down the road in terms of bicycles. Some keep
predicting flying cars, so perhaps flying bicycles aren't too far
behind. One never knows.
(http://www.hammacher.com/Product/Default.aspx?sku=12187)

In any case, I hope the older
readers can experience the thrill and enjoyment of cycling,
especially if one has not done so for many years. What you find
awaiting you on the trail system can be a delightful, enjoyable
experience. See you out there, and thanks for reading.